A Surprise Visitor
by angel eyes8
Summary: Someone from Abby's past returns after a 20 year absence with a surprising announcement.
1. Surprise Visit

This takes place in the future, doesn't follow current episode story completely. Abby & Carter are married and have 2 kids.  
  
I don't own any ER characters, though it would be nice. They all belong to NBC and other more important people than me. All other characters are from my own imagination.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Excuse me; I need to see a nurse." A well-dressed man probably in his late 50's said.  
  
"Yeah, so does everyone else sitting over there." Frank snapped back.  
  
"No, I'm not sick." He said.  
  
"Well, what are you doing here then?" Frank asked getting annoyed by the man.  
  
"I'm looking for my.um, Abby., Abby Wy.um, Abby Lockhart." He said looking down at a small piece of paper in his hand. "I was told she worked here." He said nervously.  
  
"Hang on a minute. Hey Carter, seen your wife lately?"  
  
"No Frank, I haven't." Carter said as he angrily walked away.  
  
"Well this guy's looking for Abby."  
  
"Abby? She's in exam two with Dr. Lewis." Chuny informed them.  
  
"There you go. It might be awhile, you can have a seat over there." Frank said directing him to the waiting area.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Ok, Mr. James all finished." Susan said to the man who she had just finished suturing. "Abby, put a dressing on that and he can go." She said signing the chart Abby had in her hands.  
  
"No problem." Abby replied.  
  
"Mr. James you need to come back in about a week to have those taken out." She said as she left the room.  
  
"I can go home?" He asked.  
  
"Just as soon as I put a bandage on this, and there you go."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"You're welcome, Mr. James." She said as she left him in the room. Abby took off her rubber gloves and was heading to the admit desk when she ran into Frank in the hallway.  
  
"Abby."  
  
"Yeah Frank, what's up?"  
  
"There's some guy looking for you."  
  
"Who is it?"  
  
"I don't know; what do I look like your secretary?"  
  
"Thanks Frank. I appreciate all your help." She said sarcastically.  
  
"Anytime," he replied as he walked away. She stopped to write something on Mr. James' chart and deposited in a pile of other discharged patients.  
  
She didn't even look over to the waiting area. He was sitting in the first row of chairs and didn't even recognize her until he heard someone say her name. He wanted to walk back out that door. "I shouldn't be here." He thought to himself. "She doesn't deserve this. There's been so much pain in her life already, why bring more?" He was about to leave when he noticed her staring at him.  
  
Suddenly everything seemed to stop. She couldn't believe what she saw. "Is it really him?" She asked herself. "What in the hell does he think he's doing here?" She slowly made her way to where he was standing, and looked at him in suspicion and disbelief. "Dad?" She finally said out loud. "What.what are you doing here?" She said nervously.  
  
"I wanted to see you. Is there someplace we can talk?" He asked putting a hand on her shoulder.  
  
She quickly shrugged it off. "Um, right now? Look, we're pretty busy right now." She was grasping for an excuse.  
  
"Right, I shouldn't have bothered you at work. May be we could meet later?" He asked.  
  
"I don't know, it's pretty busy around here." She started to feel a little guilty. "My shift's over in a couple of hours. There's a diner across the street meet me there at 1:30?"  
  
"1:30, diner across the street. I'll be waiting." He said as he gave her forearm a gentle squeeze.  
  
"I can't promise you, but I'll see what I can do." She said as he walked out. She made her way back to the desk and let out a heavy sigh and ran her hands through her hair.  
  
"That looked terribly uncomfortable." Susan said.  
  
"You have no idea." Abby said as she rested her elbows on the desk and buried her face in her hands.  
  
"Who was that guy anyways?"  
  
"He.he was supposed to be my father." Abby reluctantly admitted.  
  
"Your dad.he was here?" Carter asked as he joined the conversation.  
  
"Wait, wait, supposed to be? What happened?" Susan asked.  
  
"Well, he got off to a good start, but took off when I was seven. I haven't really seen him since." Abby explained.  
  
"So, what does he want?" Carter asked.  
  
"Don't know, all he said was that he wanted to talk to me."  
  
"Are you going to?" He asked.  
  
"I don't know what I'm supposed to do right now." She said frustrated.  
  
"It couldn't hurt to hear what he has to say, could it?" Carter suggested.  
  
"I guess I don't have anything to lose."  
  
  
  
  
  
Thanks for reading all reviews welcome. 


	2. A Lunch Date

1:30pm Doc Magoo's  
  
Abby nervously entered the diner and scanned the room for her father.  
  
"Abby, over here." He called waving her over to a booth in the corner. "I wasn't sure you would come."  
  
"Me either."  
  
"Abby, I know you're probably very suspicious of why I'm here. I would be too, but I wanted to tell you something that I didn't want you to hear from someone else."  
  
"Are you dying?" She asked.  
  
"No, my doctor says I'm in good health. Abby I'm getting married."  
  
"Married?" She asked in shock.  
  
"Yes, and I was hoping you and your brother would be there."  
  
"I...I don't know."  
  
"I know you're busy, but if you were there it would mean a lot to me." He pleaded.  
  
Abby was in shock. She reached into her purse and tried to pull out her cigarettes, but was so nervous she ended up spilling most of the contents all over the table. "Shit."  
  
"It's ok, let me help." He began helping her when he noticed a photo and picked it up to look at it. It was worn and creased in several different places. In it was a newborn baby, dressed up in a lavender dress and headband covering her small brown curls. Her brown eyes were wide open and reminded him much of Abby when she was born. She didn't notice he had the photo until she had finished putting everything else away. When she looked up he was studying the photo, he took his hand and ran his fingers across the face of the baby girl. "Is this.?" He began.  
  
"Her name is Brooklyn." Abby stated.  
  
"Brooklyn," he repeated. "She's beautiful. She looks just like you did. How old is she?"  
  
"In that picture not more than a couple weeks, she's almost 3 now. Here," she reached into her purse and pulled out another picture, "this is just a couple of weeks ago." She said as she handed it to him. In this picture the little girl wasn't alone; she was smiling holding a baby boy.  
  
"Is he yours?" He asked in disbelief.  
  
"Yes, that's Joey he's nine months old." She explained.  
  
"So, I'm a grandfather?"  
  
"Looks that way," she said.  
  
"The desk clerk mentioned something to one of the doctors about you being his wife. I thought you were divorced?"  
  
"I am, but John and I married about four years ago."  
  
"I'd like to meet them."  
  
"Meet them? I don't think that's a good idea."  
  
"I'm sorry I wasn't thinking." He said handing back the photos.  
  
She handed the more recent one back to him and said, "Keep it. I have plenty."  
  
"Look, Abby you have every right not to trust me. I wanted to be there for you and Eric, but I just couldn't handle it anymore." He tried to explain.  
  
"And we could."  
  
"Abby, I'm sorry."  
  
"We were kids, babies, and you left us to take care of our sick mother. Why now? After more than twenty years you just show up and expect me to be a part of your life; a life that hasn't included me for twenty years!" Abby's hands were shaking; she couldn't believe what she had just said. Everything that she had been holding back for twenty years finally came out.  
  
"You have every right to be angry, but all I'm asking is that you forgive me. I made a mistake, a huge mistake when I walked out on you. I know I can't make up for all the years I missed and I can't take away all the hurt in your life, but I want to get to know my daughter, and my grandchildren."  
  
"You didn't even know you had grandkids until two minutes ago." She spat.  
  
"May be this wasn't the right time. May be I should have just stayed away, but I couldn't. I love you Abby. I just want you to know that. I've thought about you and Eric everyday for the last twenty years."  
  
"I have to go now." She wanted to leave before she could say anything else.  
  
"Abby don't go."  
  
"I have to. Brooklyn gets out of preschool in twenty minutes." She got up and made her way out of the diner. She was heading up the stairs to catch the EL when he caught up with her.  
  
On the platform he pleaded, "Please Abby, I don't want to leave things like this. I have to get back to Minneapolis in two days. Can I see you again before then?" His voice was nearly drowned out by the approaching train.  
  
"I don't think that's a good idea." She said before she stepped onto the train leaving him behind. Seconds later Abby found herself crying. 


	3. Aftermath

The next morning in the ER, Abby is standing at the admit desk writing something on a chart. Carter approaches and sets down his chart next to her.  
  
"So, how did it go?" He asked.  
  
"How'd what go?" She said pretending not to know what he was talking about.  
  
"You know, with your dad."  
  
"Oh, that, um, not so good." She replied as she left the desk and headed down the hallway.  
  
"What happened?" He asked as he tried to catch up with her.  
  
She made her way into the supply area and started straitening things up. "Nothing, he just told me that he was getting married again and now he wants to have some part of my life." She said coolly.  
  
"Is there something wrong with that?" He asked.  
  
"John, I haven't seen or heard from this man in twenty years, and now he wants to play daddy. I'm sorry but I can't forget everything that easily." She said losing her cool.  
  
"Hey, hey I'm sorry." He said as he grabbed her arms and tried to sooth her anger.  
  
"No, I'm sorry I just. I don't know what to do." She took a deep breath. "A part of me wants to forgive him and the other wants nothing to do with him."  
  
"Abby that's a natural reaction. You're just protecting yourself."  
  
"He wants to meet you and the kids."  
  
"He does? When is he leaving?"  
  
"Tomorrow."  
  
"May be you should give him one more chance, just dinner or something. We don't have to tell the kids who he is, that way they won't get their hopes up about anything."  
  
"May be you're right." Abby laid her head on Carter's chest and he wrapped his arms around her slender waist to comfort her.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Did you call him?" Carter asked.  
  
"Yes, I called him, and he wants to have dinner tonight."  
  
"That sounds great."  
  
"He wants me to meet his fiancé."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"I can't do this by myself, John. I'm afraid I'll blow up like I did yesterday."  
  
"You don't have to do anything by yourself. We're in this together remember? What time?"  
  
"Seven." She said partially smiling.  
  
"I'm off at 2:00; I can pick up the kids and start getting them ready before you get home."  
  
"Thank you so much." 


	4. Getting Ready for Dinner

Abby arrived home at 5:30, and found Carter unsuccessfully trying to change Joey's clothes. Abby smiled as she watched the little boy wiggle out of the pants Carter is trying to put on him. Joey giggles as Carter tries to hold him down, but the infant spots his mother at the doorway and makes a quick escape from Carter. Abby bends down and picks up the boy dressed in only his diaper and a smile that lights up his face.  
  
"Am I glad to see you." Carter says as he gets up from the floor and walks towards her.  
  
"Why? I thought you had things completely under control." She said sarcastically.  
  
"Very funny," he said before kissing her lips tenderly. "Do you think you can get him into those clothes?"  
  
"Oh, I think I can manage it. Is Brooklyn ready?" She asked as she set Joey back on the floor. To Carter's surprise he was practically motionless as Abby dressed him. "John?"  
  
"How do you do that?"  
  
"Do what?" She replied smiling at him. "Is Brooklyn ready?" She asked again standing Joey up so she could pull up his tan corduroy pants.  
  
"Um, yeah, almost; she's in her room."  
  
"Alright, here since you're all ready, you take him, if you think you can handle him, and I'll finish getting her ready." Abby handed him the baby who was completely dressed in tan corduroy pants and a navy blue long- sleeve t-shirt. She kissed him gently on the cheek before she headed upstairs to check on her daughter. At the end of a short hallway was her daughter's room. Abby opened the door to the lavender room quietly.  
  
Brooklyn was on the floor trying desperately to buckle her black dress shoes. Abby smiled, "Need some help?"  
  
"Mommy!" She replied excitedly, she abandoned her shoes and ran to her mother and wrapped her arms around Abby's waist resting her head on Abby's stomach. Abby ran her hand through Brooklyn's brown curls and kissed the top of her head. "Daddy says we going to dinner." She said looking up at her mother.  
  
"That's right, so what do you say we get these shoes on, and I'll do your hair."  
  
"Ok," she let go of Abby and collected the shoes off the floor and situated herself on the bed, and Abby knelt down in front of her and put on her shoes. Brooklyn jumped off the bed as soon as Abby was finished, and adjusted her black velvet dress. It was her favorite because Abby had let her pick it out. It didn't surprise Abby that she had though, purple was her favorite color and there were purple flowers embroidered at the bottom and a purple ribbon that went around the waist. Abby finished putting Brooklyn's hair in a French braid, leaving only two small curls on either side of her face.  
  
"Alright all finished."  
  
"How do I look?" Brooklyn asked as she twirled around in a circle.  
  
"Beautiful," Abby said.  
  
"Now, I get to help you." She said as she led Abby out of the room down the hall to her own room. Brooklyn led her all the way to her closet and opened it for her. "You wear this one." She said pointing to a short black dress.  
  
"I don't think so; how about this?" Abby pulled out a full length black dress and a white cardigan sweater.  
  
"I guess so," she said disappointed.  
  
"You guess so?" Abby grabbed her and started tickling her. They both laughed. Abby picked up the dress and went into the bathroom to change, when she emerged she asked, "How do I look?"  
  
"Pretty, but we have to do something about your hair."  
  
"Oh, do we? What do you suggest?"  
  
"I think you look pretty when you have curls like me."  
  
"You do? Well let's see what we can do." Abby extended her hand and Brooklyn happily accepted it and joined her in the bathroom as she got ready. She watched as Abby curled her hair and applied her makeup. 45 minutes later they made their way downstairs.  
  
"How do we look, Daddy?" Brooklyn asked showing off her outfit and hair.  
  
"You look beautiful." He said getting off the couch with Joey in his arms and joining them.  
  
"Beautiful?" Abby asked.  
  
"Beautiful," he said before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss.  
  
"Yuck," Brooklyn said as she watched her parents kiss and stuck out her tongue in disgust.  
  
"Ready to go?" Abby asked as they parted.  
  
"Are you?"  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be." 


	5. Second Thoughts

Carter pulled the green Rodeo into the parking lot and shut off the engine. He turned his attention to Abby who was visibly nervous.  
  
"Are you alright?" He asked as he took hold of her hand.  
  
"Yeah, just peachy, I would be even better if I could have a cigarette right now." Carter's eyes widened with shock. "I'm kidding," she admitted he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. She was lying to him, she wasn't alright, she was a nervous wreck, but she couldn't figure out why. She was just having dinner with two strangers, but one of them happened to be her father. Abby finally got out of the SUV and opened the backdoor where her son was. Joey took the toy he was chewing on and smiling handed it to her. Abby just shook her head and proceeded to unbuckle him from his car seat, while Carter helped Brooklyn out of the SUV. Abby grabbed the diaper bag and they all walked into the restaurant.  
  
"Wow, this place is really." Carter began.  
  
"Expensive." Abby finished.  
  
"I was going to say nice." He turned and smiled at her.  
  
"I bet you were." Abby took another deep breath, "I can't do this." She started to walk back out the door.  
  
Carter went after her and grabbed her before she got out the door; he put his hands on her shoulders and tried to reassure her. "Abby, yes you can. You're stronger than you think. Tonight is just dinner. You don't have to make any decisions of what part you want him in yours or our lives, ok?"  
  
She looked at Joey who was balanced on her hip, and playing with her necklace. She sighed, "You're right. It's just dinner."  
  
"Remember I promised you, we're in this together."  
  
"Oh, God they're here." Abby said as she motioned to the couple who had just entered from the far doors.  
  
"That's him?" Carter asked.  
  
"What did you expect?"  
  
"Nothing, let's just go. They've spotted us." Carter said as he led Abby and Brooklyn over to the couple.  
  
"Abby, thank you for coming, you look lovely."  
  
"Thank you, um Dad, this is my husband John Carter. John this is my father, Charles." Abby said nervously.  
  
"Nice to meet you Mr. Wyczenski," Carter said as they shook hands.  
  
"You can call me Charles, and this is my fiancée Victoria. Victoria this is my daughter Abby and her family." Abby smiled politely at the woman. She was a slender brown haired woman, probably only a few years younger than her father she thought.  
  
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Abby. Your father has told me so much about you."  
  
"Really? That's interesting because."  
  
"Abby." Carter interrupted.  
  
"Mommy, I'm hungry." Brooklyn said quietly to her mother.  
  
"Um, and this is my daughter Brooklyn." Abby began.  
  
"And that's my bubby Joey." Brooklyn informed them.  
  
"She's adorable. It's nice to meet you Brooklyn." Victoria said as she tried to shake the little girl's hand, but Brooklyn quickly hid behind her mother.  
  
"I'm sorry; she's a little shy sometimes." Carter explained.  
  
"Well, how about we find a table." 


	6. Dinner Conversation

A young blonde hostess led them to a table in the back of the restaurant. Charles politely pulled out Victoria's chair while Carter did the same for Abby after she set Joey in the highchair next to her, and Brooklyn climbed into the chair next to Carter. It didn't take long for everyone to order, and they found themselves in an awkward silence. Carter was the first to speak.  
  
"How long have the two of you been together?" He asked trying to break the ice.  
  
"Two years, next month." Charles answered.  
  
"Two years and getting married already; you must really be in love." Carter continued.  
  
"Well, when you get to be our age, time isn't exactly on your side." Victoria stated.  
  
"Victoria, do you have any children?" Abby asked.  
  
"Yes, I have a son and a daughter, about the same age as you and your brother." She explained. "So, how long have you two been married?"  
  
"It'll be four years on Christmas Eve." Abby said, while trying to keep Joey from throwing his toys on the floor.  
  
"Christmas Eve? That's an unusual day to have a wedding." Charles said.  
  
"Yes, yes it was, but it was pretty great." He said smiling at Abby. She smiled back and tucked one of her brown curls behind her ear.  
  
"Sounds lovely," Victoria said. "Abby, you're father tells me you're a nurse."  
  
"Yeah, I've worked in the ER at County for a while now." She explained.  
  
"And John is one of the doctors there." Charles added.  
  
"What about you Charles?" Carter asked.  
  
"I'm retired now, so is Victoria." He began to explain, as Abby watched them.  
  
She felt completely uncomfortable sitting here with her long-lost father and his soon-to-be wife. She tried to push all her anger away for the night, but her words from the day before kept coming back to haunt her. "We were kids, babies, and you left us to take care of our sick mother. Why now? After more than twenty years you just show up and expect me to be a part of your life; a life that hasn't included me for twenty years!" Abby ran her fingers through her curly hair and sighed.  
  
Thank God John was here with her, if he hadn't been she would have never even showed up. She watched him as he listened to Charles, she smiled slightly. "How can he be so comfortable having dinner with two complete strangers?" She asked herself. Abby took a deep breath and tried to relax herself, it wasn't working. "What am I doing here, this is a complete joke." She thought.  
  
"Please excuse me." Abby said as she got up from the table and headed for the bathroom. Carter instinctively followed her.  
  
"Abby, Abby." He called as he tried to catch up with her. He finally caught her in the secluded hallway that led to the bathrooms. "Abby what's wrong?"  
  
She lowered her head and tried to hold back the tears. Carter gently lifted her head so she would look at him. He could tell she was about to cry, but wasn't sure what had gotten her upset. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into an embrace; she didn't fight him and wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. "John I can't do this." She admitted. "I'm not ready for any of this."  
  
"What?" He asked.  
  
"Letting him back into my life; I've spent the last 4 years trying to build a good life, and I have with you and the kids, but now he's. It's just too much too soon." She lifted her head and they looked each other in the eyes. Carter could see the hurt in them; maybe she was right maybe this was too much too soon. The pain her father had caused her was still affecting her. It wasn't the same as the hurt she experience with Maggie. With Maggie she had learned how to cope, but her father was new territory that she hadn't dealt with. 


End file.
